The story has a long interpretive history and has become well known through popular childrens stories. Jonah and the whale is a favorite story among children. The book of jonah is a book of the neviim prophets in the hebrew bible. Jonah the book of jonah in the bible 1 tells the story of a prophet who was. Ironically, the book of jonah is filled with irony, parody and exaggeration that are often overlooked by many interpreters. At times, the odd structure and ending of the book have been used to support this theory, since the book does not follow a normal form for historical narrative. Sep 08, 2012 jonah was the son of amittai, and he is a prophet who lived in israel in the 8th century b. The book of jonah is the fifth book in the christian canons and the jewish tanakh. Through some supernatural events, god convinced him to obey and carry out the lords plan. Intro to jonah biblica the international bible society. There is no adequate reason to regard jonah as non historical. There is a book in the bible that bears his name and he also appears in 2 kings as a prophet from. The man jonah was the main character of the book, he was the son of amittai jonah 1. In other words, jonah caught more fish in his net than ever before thus we have the greatest fish story of all time.
The literary and historical aspects of the book of jonah tell an intriguing narrative. The primary purpose of jonah is to demonstrate gods character, mainly his grace, mercy, and compassion for humanity, while demonstrating that salvation belongs to the lord, jonah 2. Book of jonah old testament britannica encyclopedia britannica. The masoretic text places joel between hosea and amos the order inherited by the tanakh and old testament, while the septuagint order is hoseaamosmicahjoelobadiah jonah. Nov 09, 2018 throughout its over 3,000 year history, nineveh was not known to be kind and gentle. Professor settle listed several alleged inaccuracies contained in the book. Unlike other old testament prophetic books, jonah is not a collection of the prophets oracles but primarily a narrative about the man. Many have questioned whether the book of jonah is historical.
The book of jonah cannot be accepted as history settle, b4. Jonah is viewed as myth, legend, parable, allegory and history. They can report the certainty of the historical facts. Book of jonah, the fifth of 12 old testament books that bear the names of the minor prophets, embraced in a single book, the twelve, in the jewish canon. It is one of trei asar the twelve prophets in the tanakh. It tells of a hebrew prophet named jonah son of amittai who is sent by god to prophesy the destruction of nineveh but tries to escape the divine mission. The book of jonah, written primarily in the third person, does not explicitly name the prophet as the author of his own account, but we have no reason to doubt either the inspiration or the historical veracity of the book. I am an undergraduate student at a christian, and i wanted to say how absolutely helpful your response to the question is the book of jonah fact or fiction. In summary, i believe that there are three primary reasons to think the book of jonah is not historical. Jonah and the whale amazing bible timeline with world history. T he book of jonah is an old testament story which tells about how the prophet jonah refused to follow the lord. Jonah belongs only seemingly to the prophets who were also writers.
The history of civilization is littered with the ruins of once proud and mighty cities. Jonah came from the village of gath hepher, which was located about three miles north of nazareth in lower galilee. The city had gone back to its sinful ways after they repented back in jonahs day, and now they ignore nahum and his message. The main theme of the book of jonah is gods sovereignty over all people and his divine plan to extend his gift of mercy and salvation beyond israel to include the gentile nations. I am currently taking a course that is an introduction to the bible. The book of jonah, in the old testament of the bible, is one of the works of the minor prophets. The distinctive nature of the book of jonah is revealed in several ways. Historical context critical to understanding the story of jonah the prophet and his dramatic mission to the assyrian capital of nineveh in the. Jonah overview keil and delitzsch commentary on the old. And some have pointed out that the poem in chapter 2 cannot possibly be a historical account of jonah s experience in the fish.
Both rjs at jesus creed and rob bell recently wrote very generous posts attempting as best they. Jonah and the whale amazing bible timeline with world. While jonah eventually did what he was asked to do, the book closes with showing jonah as a. He is the central figure of the book of jonah, in which he is called upon by god to travel to nineveh and warn its residents of impending divine wrath. Dec 03, 2012 some look to jesus reference to jonah in matthew 12. The reader will mark that our lord referred to the miraculous preservation of jonah, and his deliverance, as a historical event, recorded in the first and second chapters of the book of jonah, not as a myth or allegory, but as a historical fact. Title following the lead of the hebrew masoretic text mt, the title of the book is derived from the principal character, jonah meaning dove, the son of amittai 1. This is at variance with the character of a purely symbolical action, and proves that the book relates historical facts. Rather than being a series of oracles of the prophet, this book tells of an episode in the prophets life. He sets the very same historical value upon the book of jonah as upon the third book of kings.
The historical fact of the account of jonah and the fish is linked to the historicity of the resurrection of jesus christ. What if the book of jonah included all the above but left out the thing about the great fish do you suppose there would be a great push to take the book allegorically or non. The story of the prophet jonah is recorded in the book of jonah, which is part of the bible, and is read in the synagogue every year on the day of atonement. It may be read as an allegory, one of sin and repentance, with gods loving mercy and forgiveness. According to many scholars the book is to be understood in its historical context. Set in the reign of jeroboam ii 786746 bc, it was probably written in the postexilic period, some time between the late 5th to early 4th century bc. However, jonah tries to escape his mission and sails for tarshish. Jonah is the only old testament prophet whose ministry is entirely on foreign soil. Some believe the book of job is little more than a fine piece of noninspired literature. When the prophets are commanded to carry out symbolical transactions, they do so without repugnance. Jonah lived and ministered in israel during the 8th century bc, during the reign of king jeroboam ii 2 kings 14. No, the book of jonah cannot be read as history fred clark. However, the book of jonah is presented in a non historical setting.
Within the historical context, the book would have also served as incitement of the original audience, highlighting their narrowminded, nationalistic. He is eventually thrown away by the ships crew in the. Jonah with book summary versebyverse bible commentary. Written by the prophet jonah, son of amittai, around 785760 b. It merely tells his history, as the books of the kings tell of elijah, elisha, micaiah, or yimlah ben zimlah. The prophet nahum wrote this book between 633 bc and 612 bc. Is the book of jonah is factual, allegorical, mythical or.
The book of jonah is about an event that jesus said took place in history. Unlike the other prophetic books, it is not a book written by a prophet but is a narrative about a prophet. Yona williams jonah is a wellknown figure in the old testament, who is responsible for writing the 32nd book most likely between 793 and 758 bc. Other than his book and those opening lines, we do not know that much about the man. The book of jonah is unique among the books of the prophets. It is incredible that one could be alive for three days in a fishs belly. The only reference to jonah in a historical context is found in 2 kings 14. Book of jonah overview insight for living ministries. Jonah was a prophet of god and in his book and the first chapter we read that the command of god came to jonah to go preach to the city of nineveh. Others contend it is inspired of god, but, like happenings in genesis and jonah, the book of job is said to be a fictional story about imaginary people, places, and events, told for spiritual purposes. This book professes to give an account of what actually took place in the experience of the prophet. Even the truth of god pleases the human heart often only as long as the own importance can be stressed by it.
The fact is, the record clearly states that god prepared a great fish to swallow up. Some critics have sought to interpret the book as a parable or allegory, and not as a history. He is the central figure of the book of jonah, in which he is called upon by. In the book, jonah is called upon by god to prophesy the judgment of nineveh. Book of jonah encyclopedia of the bible bible gateway. Indeed, the prophet and his surroundings provide wonderful examples from which the reader can learn. The supposed legendary character of some of the events e. That is, the book may be a true record of certain facts and yet not have been made a part of scripture simply in order to make known these facts. Jonah was the son of amittai, and he is a prophet who lived in israel in the 8th century b. The prophetic significance of this book not only lies in the short message in nineveh but also in the entire history of jonah described in his book. Unlike other old testament prophetic books, jonah is not a collection of the prophets oracles but primarily a. Considers the book of jonah as a parable designed to teach a lesson in which jonah represents israel, and the fish which swallowed him as israels captivity. Interesting facts about jonah biblical facts and comments.
Jews regarded jonah as historical josephus antiquities ix, 10, 2. The hebrew text of joel seems to have suffered little from scribal transmission, but is at a few points supplemented by the septuagint, syriac, and vulgate versions, or by conjectural emendation. God provides rich man and lazarus hd 1080 duration. This little book therefore contains very practical lessons for every reader. Biblical jonah visits nineveh the evil city ancient pages. Almost everyone has heard the story of the huge sea creature that swallowed jonah, and about jonahs pitiful prayer for deliverance while inside its stomach ch. Assyrias willingness to repent may have been helped by. Unlike the other books of this collection the book of jonah contains a prophecy of only five words 3. May 27, 2012 i am an undergraduate student at a christian, and i wanted to say how absolutely helpful your response to the question is the book of jonah fact or fiction. The most difficult and troubling passages often open their meaning and significance in the most beautiful way when the historical and cultural background of the text is grasped. In the new testament, no other old testament prophet is named by jesus more than the prophet jonah.
But jonah seeks to avoid executing the command of god by flight, and is punished in consequence. Key personalities include jonah, the captain and the ships crew and the people of nineveh. The book of jonah is narrative history and a prophetic oracle. Nineveh was situated on the eastern side of the tigris river just across from modern mosul, iraqs second largest city built on the western side of the tigris. Jonah was the first to do this, about 120 years ago. A firm principle in biblical study is that, even in a clearly historical passage, the theological message is more important than historical details.
Saint augustine in the 5th century remarked that the story of jonah was the laughing stock of the pagans. Jonah s experiences form the main contents and purpose of the book. I think the argument can be made that if jonah was written as historical fiction, where it was meant to teach godly lessons, jesus conversation would still make sense since he was a jew talking to a group of jews. The details of the book appear to be historical data. Ancient nineveh background bible study bible history. Second, if the book of jonah is actually a fictitious account with no historical. Concerning the assumptions of destructive criticism s. In the book, jonah is called upon by god to prophesy the. The audience of the book of jonah was the people of israel and all future readers of the bible and, typically, prophets issued warnings or gave instructions to the people of israel. The book of jonah, they say, is a historical account.
In his article, he attacked the book of jonah by stating. Skepticism towards the book and the bible as a whole continues to this day in even greater intensity. At times, an unwillingness to accept the possibility of miraculous occurrences the fish, the plant may be central to denying historicity, at other times it is a matter of literary genre 39. In this book, god calls nahum to prophesy judgment to nineveh for the second time. Book of jonah, also spelled jonas, the fifth of 12 old testament books that bear the names. This quote from authors william lasor, david hubbard and frederic bush is important in our understanding of the book of jonah. Nov 21, 2012 the most difficult and troubling passages often open their meaning and significance in the most beautiful way when the historical and cultural background of the text is grasped. This book has an almost entirely narrative content. The details in the book of jonah are not historical. Jonah or jonas, in the hebrew bible tanakhold testament, is a prophet of the northern kingdom of israel in about the 8th century bce. However, it is the exclusive attributes of god which are revealed as the central function for the book of jonah. Book of jonah, also spelled jonas, the fifth of 12 old testament books that bear the names of the minor prophets, embraced in a single book, the twelve, in the jewish canon. Almost everyone has heard the story of the huge sea creature that swallowed jonah, and about jonah s pitiful prayer for deliverance while inside its stomach ch.
Jonah therefore is the only prophet of the ot revealing the grace of god towards the heathen. Wishard according to the word of the lord god of israel, which he spake by the hand of his servant jonah, the son of amittai the prophet, which was of gathhepher. His tale is often referred to as jonah and the whale, but many people are unaware of the background of the popular. Considers the book of jonah as a true and literal narration of facts which occurred exactly as they were related in the book. Furthermore, the bible, history, and archaeology all show that nineveh was, in fact, destroyed. What you need to know about the book of jonah digitalcommons. The purpose of this book is to show that god is a merciful and gracious god. Such is the very strongest argument that catholics offer for the firm stand they take upon the ground of the factnarrative of the story of jonah.